The Washington critic., 1887-07-07
WASHINGTON, JULY :, 1887.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND THE
GRAND ARMY.

The announcement Of the Presidents
final determination not to visit st.
Louis during the National Encamp.
mcnt of the Grand Army In September
will be received In that city with
keen sense of disappointment, and all
over the country with profound regret
that circumstances should have arisen
TO warrant such an extraordinary
course.
That the Chief Magistrate of the
United States-7the supreme executive
authority of the land-entrusted with
the administration OF the laws and
other solemn obligations by the voice
OF n free people, should he deferred
from visiting any portion of the coun-
try by threats Of Insult to his high
Office, is something heretofore unknown
In our national experience, 1t Is some.
thing that never should have been
known. The bare suggestion of such a
contingency is startling to the conserva.
tive sentiment of the Union.
AT first sight the action of the Presi-
dent may seem TO be trivial and un.
warranted, but careful perusal of his
letter will show that he fortifies his
position with great argumentative
force and certainly with dignity.
He could have stated the case In fewer
words by saying that he did not care
to 60 where he had been informed, in
terms of emphatic discourtesy, he was
not wanted; that he could not, with
proper self.respect, or with proper re-
gard for the official rank he holds,
force himself upon an occasion at
which he had been told In advance he
would be a distasteful and exasperating
presence. But he chose a more elabo.
rate presentation of his reasons, that
there might be no mistake as to their
meaning, and to show that he had not
disposed of an unpleasant dilemma
without serious and studied con-
sideraiion.
AS the matter now stands, the Presi.
dent seems to have the best of the con-
troversy. The Grand Army has pre-
cipitated an issue which 1t will find
extremely difficult to sustain against
that innate sentiment Of loyalty to the
Government and Its visible head which
is the source and foundation OF its
strength with the people.
1t would have been far more com.
mendable and gracious on the part of
the gentlemen having the Grand Army
arrangements in charge to have repu.
dated the Incorporate and un. Amer.
lean utterances of General Tuttle, and
to have informed Mr.. Cleveland that
whatever differences of opinion might
exist between them as to the pension
vetoes Of the past or the pension legis.
lation Of the future, the President of
the United States would always be as
sured of respectful welcome by the
veteran soldiers of the Republic.
Here is where they missed an oppor-
tunity to do that which in the estima.
tion of the whole country would have
been in the highest degree praise.
worthy and at the same time eminently
judlcious.
Failing in this, our Grand Army
friends have subjected themselves to q
singing rebuke and put themselves on
the defensive. The sharp satire of the
President In his various illusions to
the progress of the sentiment of com.
mon brotherhood which the Grand
Army of the Republic has so good an
opportunity to increase and foster" and
In his dissertation Of himself from this
movement as "cause of discord," 4"
is simply unanswerable and over.
whelming.
But what will come of this remark
able episode2
In all probability 1t will widen the
breach between the politicians Of the
Grand ndArmy and the Administration, but
1t is calculated to produce still wider
breach in the Grand Army organIza.
tion itself, many Of the members OF
which, II not in sympathy with the
Presidents policy, still recognize him
as the chief officer of the Government,
to whom all classes OF the people owe
at least the courteous obeisance Of good
citizens, and are unalterably opposed
to making him the target, in season
and out Of season, of continuous par
tisan assault. Politically speaking
THE Critic is therefore inclined Il
think that the advantages, If advan
tages there be, of this new phase o.
the situation, are with the President